The night crows weren’t singing a dirge; they were chanting a death knell.
None of them had anticipated this inversion of aning before tonight.
Cheng Shi and his companions followed the night crows’ trail for a while longer, stumbling upon a few more so-called “blasphers.”
It wasn’t until the blood moon in the night sky began to dim and dawn approached that the noisy crows finally flew away in flocks, heading sowhere beyond the town.
Qin Chaoge wanted to chase after them, but Li Bola stopped her.
Such an action would be reckless—too likely to alert the enemy.
And with only half of their group actively investigating, with the other three players unaccounted for, it wasn’t wise to dig too deep just yet.
Her aning was clear: Before facing external threats, they needed internal stability.
Cheng Shi couldn’t agree more.
After tonight, they had nearly uncovered the truth behind the death of their teammate at the inn.
The culprit had deliberately mimicked the behavior of this “Parable Guardian” and killed them.
The killer was a player—there was no other possibility.
Perhaps, due to a lack of ti to investigate before or after waking up, the killer had missed the fact that the “Punishnt for Blasphers” only occurred at night.
Then again, they might have taken advantage of a fleeting opportunity and hastily set up a cover.
Either way, the poorly staged suicide had fractured the already fragile bonds between the players.
Now, it was Ji Ran, Hu Xuan, and their temporary trio.
With only half the players on the sa page, the chances of passing the trial smoothly were slim.
They needed to recruit another ally.
They were one player short.
The next person to sit at the table could be either a warrior or a mage—it all depended on which of the remaining two players was human and which was the “ghost.”
Once the team was finalized, the trial itself shouldn’t be too difficult.
Although they hadn’t caught a glimpse of the killer all night, the truth was already becoming clear.
The three of them had spent the night investigating without falling under the blood moon’s corruption. anwhile, in the hos where the night crows had landed, the residents were all dead.
This indicated that the so-called “Punishnt for Blasphers” was a fa??ade. The real mastermind was soone skilled, fast, and stealthy.
But they were clearly not a follower of [Bloody Moon]. Given their strength, they could have easily massacred the entire town, yet they hadn’t.
Likewise, they weren’t a follower of [Eternal Sun]. Cheng Shi was certain that at least half of the people who died tonight were the most devout of His followers.
Now, that made things interesting.
The horrifying killer seed to be intentionally spreading fear, going to great lengths to maintain the “accuracy” of the song’s lyrics.
If the song was the parable, then the killer was undoubtedly the one enforcing and protecting it.
For soone to spend so many years lurking in the shadows of this small town, carrying out such acts tirelessly, there had to be a deeper aning behind it. And that aning…
Was likely the answer to this trial.
Cheng Shi could connect almost everything he had seen to the parable, except for one thing: the night crows.
He couldn’t figure them out.
What role did these dark birds play in the massacre?
Why did the killer follow the night crows’ path to commit the murders?
Could they be the true judges?
The trio found no more “blasphers” as they doubled back. However, on their way back through the streets, they ca across the bodies of many of the escapees who had committed suicide.
Their faces were twisted in horror, their limbs contorted in unnatural ways. And yet, despite this, their right hands had been broken and forced to grip the knife hilts at their chests.
The Parable Guardian had an obsessive fixation on the act of suicide.
As Cheng Shi gazed upon the street littered with corpses, a new idea ca to him:
“You know,” he started, “I think selling daggers in a place like this would be very profitable. There would never be a shortage of custors.”
“……”
His two teammates were montarily stunned, unable to follow his train of thought.
But then they both felt a sense of relief—at least Cheng Shi’s face wasn’t as grim anymore.
It seed the [Decay] priest had been carrying too much righteous indignation. Ever since he had witnessed the deaths of so many townspeople, his mood had been dark.
What they didn’t know was that Cheng Shi’s sour mood wasn’t solely due to the deaths…
Well, it was partly due to the deaths.
After investigating all night, the number of sacrifices he owed had now reached double digits. How on earth was he going to repay them?
If he delayed a few more days, the “generous” lord he owed wouldn’t start charging him interest, would He?
Scary thought.
“Alright, the sun’s about to rise. It looks like there won’t be any more disturbances tonight. We can rest for now,” Li Bola said, a tired smile tugging at her lips. Even the wind seed weary.
Qin Chaoge nodded vigorously in agreent.
“Ti to clock out! So, what now? Back to the inn?”
Cheng Shi rolled his eyes and kindly reminded her:
“Lady, don’t forget, we’re still prisoners. If we’re going back anywhere, it’s the dungeon.”
“?” Qin Chaoge’s face darkened. “I broke out of there with my own skills! Why should I go back?”
“……”
Cheng Shi shook his head in frustration, then furrowed his brow and added: “We’ve spent the whole night examining so many bodies, and yet sothing feels off. But I can’t quite put my finger on it.”
Li Bola chuckled wearily:
“Soone is reenacting the parable at night. Isn’t that strange enough?
Parables are lies, after all. They’ll always be exposed eventually, just like any lie will eventually be uncovered.”
But before she could finish her sentence, Cheng Shi’s face tightened, growing even more unsettled.
Li Bola, too absorbed in her words, didn’t notice his expression.
“Next, all we have to do is head to—”
But before she could say where, her own face grew strange as well.
The ranger’s smile froze, her expression becoming hesitant and uncertain.
Cheng Shi imdiately guessed that sothing had happened. He quickly cast an advanced ntal restoration spell on the three of them and asked with a frown:
“Soone contacted you? Hu Xuan or Ji Ran?”
Li Bola was surprised that Cheng Shi could guess so accurately. She nodded, then spoke in a low voice:
“It’s Hu Xuan. She’s asking for help.”
Qin Chaoge’s face darkened further at the ntion of the na, while Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“That child?”
He was referring to the strange communication thod between the ranger and Hu Xuan. Li Bola nodded affirmatively, then gave Cheng Shi a rather odd look.
Cheng Shi, sensing sothing was off, felt a sinking feeling in his gut.
Wait, what? Does this have sothing to do with ?
“She… asked
to find you, Cheng Shi.”
“?”
“Find ?”
Cheng Shi was bewildered. His first thought was:
Does this Sage of Life really need to bear everyone’s child before she’s satisfied?
Judging by the look on Li Bola’s face, it was probably about the child. Cheng Shi could clearly see a hint of amusent and anticipation in her eyes.
The kind of excitent one gets from being an observer to so juicy drama.
Seeing this, Qin Chaoge burst out laughing. She elbowed Cheng Shi in the back, teasing him:
“Here’s your chance! Ti for a practice run!”
Heh, being mocked by soone who’s already had a child is rich.
Despite his suspicions, Cheng Shi still feigned innocence and asked:
“What does she need help with?”
Li Bola’s smirk grew wider as she locked eyes with Cheng Shi and spoke slowly, word by word:
“She’s about to give birth and needs you to help… as the midwife.”
“?”
Qin Chaoge was dumbstruck.
But Cheng Shi started laughing.
A brilliant, almost maniacal grin spread across his face!
Deliver a baby?
I’m an expert at that!
Let
put it this way—there’s probably no one in this world who knows more about delivering babies than I do!
His smile stretched wider and wider, becoming disturbingly gleeful, sending shivers down the spines of both female players.
Qin Chaoge shivered. Noticing the gleam in Cheng Shi’s eyes, she wrinkled her face in horror and hesitantly asked:
“You… actually know how to deliver babies?”
“Ahem… I know a bit.”
“So, should I tell her you’ll go, or not?”
“Go!
We can use this opportunity to see if the Sage of Life is the killer we’ve been looking for. If we can eliminate her as a suspect, the answer will beco clear!”
Li Bola nodded thoughtfully, silently conveying sothing to Hu Xuan in the process.
When she looked back at Cheng Shi, her gaze was filled with a new kind of intrigue.
Cheng Shi caught her look and, smiling, asked:
“Ranger, when we get there, will we still be teammates?”
Li Bola smiled, her answer ambiguous:
“Aren’t we always teammates?”
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